HOUSING AND LAND
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The compulsory extinguishment of marine rights, usually required for reclamation projects, is effected under either the Public Reclamation and Works Ordinance or the Foreshores and Sea Bed Ordinance. These ordinances provide for the lodging of objections to a scheme and for the payment of compensation where private rights are affected.
Public works affecting existing highways but not involving the acquisition of private land are dealt with under the Streets (Alteration) Ordinance, which also has similar provi- sions for the lodging of objections and the payment of compensation.
During 1980, some $30 million was paid in compensation for land and buildings acquired in the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon - either under compulsory powers or by agreement - to be used for government projects, excluding urban renewal and environmental improvement programmes and Mass Transit Railway acquisitions.
Survey
The Survey Branch of the Crown Lands and Survey Office provides a network of trigono- metrical stations and bench marks upon which all land and engineering surveys are based, and for the mapping of Hong Kong and the delineation and physical marking of boundaries of lots.
The branch's photogrammetric unit supplies detailed survey plots for engineering and development purposes; during the year it was also able to make good progress on contouring for the standard metric 1:1,000 series of plans. Aerial photography for photogrammetric plotting purposes, and for engineering and environmental studies, is supplied by the Air Survey Unit, assisted by the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force.
Following the completion of the new main survey control system in 1979 very good progress was made in converting and adjusting minor control to the new system, with excellent results.
The cadastral sections were very busy during the year. Redevelopment of old lots accounted for most of the work in Hong Kong and Kowloon while in the New Territories most activity was centred in the new towns and smaller development areas.
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Cartographic projects undertaken by the Survey Branch during 1980 included continua- tion of the revision and production of a second edition of the 1:20,000 topographic map series, 11 of which are now completed; revision and reprinting of Hong Kong Streets and Places, Volumes I and II – the former in its third edition; and the publication of the fourth 'Countryside' series map Sai Kung and Clear Water Bay. In addition, compilation was in progress for the fifth map in the series, showing the northern New Territories, and redesign- ing commerced on the first map, Hong Kong Island. A modest start was made on the production of a 1:5,000 series for the New Territories with the completion of sheets for Tai Po and Yuen Long, while the proposed 1:10,000 monochrome series was still delayed due to a staff shortage.
Production of the interim series 1:1,000 sheets ceased due to the increase in availability of metric contours from the Photogrammetric Unit and, from now on, efforts will be concentrated on producing new fully metric sheets. Extra staff approved for this task will improve the production rate once they are recruited and trained.
Sales of the 'Countryside' and 1:20,000 topographic map series again approached 100,000 sheets, reflecting the increasing popularity of outdoor activities such as hiking and picnicking.
The Public Works Department's Survey Training School provides training for both the survey and cartographic disciplines. During the year, 217 government officers attended various courses at the school.
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REFERENCE LIBRARY